


this puzzle is a few pieces short

by pawn_vs_player



Series: Select File: DFT//:R3d3mpt10n_+_D3t3rm1n4t10n [1]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Altered Mental States, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Divergent Timelines, Gen, Intrusive Thoughts, Look At Your Life Look At Your Choices, Mental Instability, Mind Control Aftermath & Recovery, POV Sans, POV Second Person, PTSD Frisk, PTSD Sans, Past Abusive Relationship(s), Past Brainwashing, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Sans Has Issues, Slightly unreliable narrator, Unhealthy Relationships, it's brainwashing but that's as close a tag as i can get
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-04
Updated: 2017-03-04
Packaged: 2018-09-28 07:05:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10078820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pawn_vs_player/pseuds/pawn_vs_player
Summary: Sans dies, which fixes things, somehow.Well. Not everything.Some things require a lot more effort to fix. (And some things can't be fixed at all.)((In which a bit of speculation about consequences and recovery gave birth to an entirely new timeline.))





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Homikaze](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Homikaze/gifts).



> *The formatting has killed the author. They are dead. Goodbye cruel world.  
> *Inspired by Flarga's comment on chapter 3 of "predators". The author sends their gratitude.  
> *The author hopes you all enjoy the story!!

*b u t

 

 

 

*y o u

 

 

 

*** R E F U S E**

 

 

 

 

*(Your s o u l shudders. Your dust rises back into the air. Your clothes fly up, wrap themselves around your dust. The two halves of your soul pulse and beat, and press together in desperation- in d e t e r m i n a t i o n.)

*(You...)

*(You f e e l...)

*(Disgust.)

*(Shame.)

*(Rage.)

*(Grief.)

*(G u i l t .)

_*t h e y l o v e d y o u ._

_*a n d w h a t d i d y o u d o ?_

_*l e t y o u r o l d e s t f r i e n d d i e a n d e m b a r k o n a k i l l i n g s p r e e w i t h t h e d e m o n w h o k i l l e d e v e r y o n e w h o c a r e d a b o u t y o u ._

_*_ **_t h e y l o v e d y o u ._ **

*you deserve to die. you know you do.

*you have no right to come back when papyrus, undyne, toriel, _flowey-_ when all of them can't.

*you don't deserve to come back. you don't deserve the chance to fix things.

*all you deserve is this crippling guilt, the agony ripping your newly-recovered soul to pieces.

* _y o u l e t c h a r a m u r d e r y o u r b r o t h e r. y o u r f r i e n d s ._

*you hadn't loved him then- you hadn't loved _anyone_ then- but you always knew that papyrus was above everyone else, in some way you could never understand.

*you couldn't understand what you couldn't feel.

 

*but.

 

*but.

 

*but.

*god, do you feel _now._

 _*_ you feel _e v e r y t h i n g._

_*and all of it hurts._

 

*flowey.

*god.

*you let chara murder one of your best friends and you didn't care.

*you're a monster in every meaning of the word.

*why are you alive? why is your soul whole? why are you not dust?

*what purpose could there possibly be to this?

*your determination is gone. you are broken, scraped empty and refilled with guilt and grief and agony. what good can you possibly be?

 

* _i s t i l l b e l i e v e i n y o u._

**_*i h a v e n ' t s a v e d s i n c e w e g o t o u t._ **

_*i h a v e t o s a v e e v e r y o n e._

**_*b e g o o d , s a n s._ **

_*i l o v e y o u._

_*i ‘ m g o i n g t o s a v e y o u , i p r o m i s e._

_*d o n ‘ t g i v e u p h o p e._

 

Chara trusts you. Chara _loves_ you. Chara's fighting Mettaton Neo. They'll be distracted. They'll never see you coming. They won't be prepared.

You can kill them.

You can make them RESET.

*You can f i x this.

*You h a v e t o fix this.

Frisk had saved you. Saved everyone, at least at first. Would they do it again, if you got them in the driver's seat? Maybe, maybe not- but there _is_ a maybe. With Chara, there's no possibility of a happy ending for anyone except themself. With Frisk...

It may not work, but it's all you've got.

It's your best shot.

 

You force yourself to your feet. Mettaton is losing, slowly but surely. You have to make sure he wins.

You struggle forward. Your limbs feel strange and heavy. You feel strange and heavy.

***Y o u r s i n s a r e c r a w l i n g o n y o u r b a c k .**

Chara screams obscenities as they strike at Mettaton, again and again. They scream your name, too. _S e e , S a n s ? T h e y_ **_l o v e_ ** _y o u . W h y d o y o u w a n t t o b e t r a y t h e m ?_

They haven't noticed you yet.

*You check Mettaton's stats.

He's okay. He should withstand another round or two. You have time.

You can't trust your feet, so you trust your magic. You shortcut over to Frisk. They shiver, a little gasp punching into their chest.

"please, kiddo," you say. You shove your hands into your pockets; you can't summon attacks that way. "please. i'm. i'm so sorry. you'll never know how fucking _sorry_ i am. but that... that can't matter right now. look. you need to load as soon as chara goes down, okay? i don't know if chara resetting will work on both our universes, or yours, or mine. you have to save your universe, okay?"

Frisk stares at you. They clearly don't trust you, but you're telling the truth. They're a smart kid. They'll be able to tell that, at least.

"...What are you going to do?"

You close your eyes. You see Papyrus' scarf disintegrating in your blast, Undyne shattering into dust, Alphys' face as you spared her, Flowey's expression right before Chara threw him off the mountain. "what i should have done a damn long time ago." _H u s h n o w , S a n s . Y o u k n o w y o u c a n ' t b e t r u s t e d t o m a k e y o u r o w n d e c i s i o n s ._

You reach forward, slowly, and pat their shoulder. "kid... i'm... i'm _so_ sorry."

You'll never be able to put just how sorry into words.

"tell... tell other me i'm going to fix this," you ask them. "just tell him. please."

You have no right to ask anything of them. You have no right to try to assuage your own guilt. It's just what you d e s e r v e, after all.

Frisk reaches out, very slowly, and pats your skull.

"It'll be okay," they whisper.

You laugh, a harsh scrape of noise over your teeth. "keep tellin' yourself that, kid."

You stand and take a deep breath, letting it whistle out through your ribs.

You can do this.

You have to do this.

 

Mettaton's HP is too low. One more good hit and he's down.

You will not allow that to happen. _I s n ' t t h a t w h a t y o u w a n t e d ?_

You shortcut in at the edges of the battlefield.

*You interrupt the fight.

Chara whirls to face you. "--SANS?!--"

Mettaton's face falls momentarily before he forces his glare back up. Your soul shudders in guilt. He doesn't have to be afraid of you. You promise.

"heya, kiddo," you say.

You raise your hand.

*You have entered a battle with the F A L L E N C H I L D.

Chara stumbles as the battle screen wraps around the two of you. "--S...Sans? What's going on? How are you alive? Why are you doing this?--"

Your eye glows blue and yellow.

*You are the J U D G E O F T H E U N D E R G R O U N D .

*It is long past time for you to do your job.

"i want to talk to frisk."

"--Fr-Frisk?!-" They blink at you. "--Why do you want to talk to that coward?--"

*Chara is confused.

*Chara is happy that you are alive.

*Chara doesn't want to fight you.

You sigh.

SANS > ACT > SUMMON AND SPEAK WITH FRISK.

_*you aren't the only one who can dodge the rules._

Chara warps and glitches. They bend over, gripping their head. Black v o i d goop spills from their mouth and wide red eyes.

When they stand upright, their eyes are brown and narrow enough to be mistaken for closed.

*Frisk greets you happily.

*Frisk asks you what’s changed, why you want to speak with them, why you interrupted the battle with Mettaton NEO.

*(Frisk is grateful for the chance to be in control of their body again.)

*(Frisk is ecstatic to see _y o u_ again.)

*(Frisk is apprehensive of what this means.)

You shove your hands in your pockets. "you saved us all. back at the beginning. you saved us all."

*n o t f l o w e y.

"if... if you could have your body, your d e t e r m i n a t i o n, back... would you do that again? save everyone? help everyone?"

*Frisk looks like they're about to cry.

*Frisk tells you that they shouldn't have killed anyone.

*Frisk tells you that Chara was whispering to them, telling them what to do...

*Frisk looks away.

*Frisk admits that it's their fault, all their fault. They'd been so scared, so they fought- and eventually Chara started fighting the monsters and not Frisk- and then Chara wouldn't _stop_ \- and then... _then_...

*So they RESET again, and got to the end; saved everyone, helped everyone- except Flowey, but they were starting to learn that d e t e r m i n a t i o n couldn't do everything- but Chara was still there, was still-

*They were still so _angry._

*Frisk tells you they'd thought that maybe, if they showed Chara how wrong they'd been, how good monsters were- remind Chara how much better monsters were than humans- that maybe Chara could be fixed.

*They'd been so, so wrong.

*(They had never thought Chara would do what they have to you.)

*(They had never realized that Chara had the _ability_ to do all that they have.)

"kid. i know. you know. we've... we've both fucked up where killing is concerned. but i need to know. if you could, would you bring us back to the good times?"

*Frisk says of course they would.

*They miss their friends. They miss their family.

*They want to save everyone. (They want to save y o u .)

*They want Chara to go back to normal. They want Chara out of their head and soul.

*They don't want to kill anymore.

You roll your shoulders.

"you gotta die, right? to reset? if you die, can you fight chara back and take control?" _W h y a r e y o u  a s k i n g t h a t ? W h y d o y o u w a n t t h a t ?_

*Frisk thinks about it.

*They say they might, if they were very determined.

*They ask why you're asking.

You shrug.

"you've got your mistakes to fix. so do i. we need each other for that."

*Frisk wonders sadly if they can trust you.

Your soul throbs painfully. More guilt settles over your shoulders.

"i can't say you can, kid. i wouldn't." _i don't._ "but i promise i'm gonna do everything i can to undo our wrongs. and you know how much i hate breaking promises." _Y o u b r o k e s o m a n y p r o m i s e s , S a n s . T h e o n l y p r o m i s e y o u ' v e k e p t i s t h e o n e y o u m a d e t o C h a r a ._

*Frisk deliberates on this statement.

*TRUST                                         *DO NOT

*You are their friend, and they want very much to trust you. But you... you are very much like them, in some ways.

*Chara broke you. Frisk knows that as well as you do. Chara broke you into a thoughtlessly obedient weapon. You aren't safe anymore.

*They deliberate: can they put aside the actions you committed under Chara’s influence? The multitude of triggers in your head? The dust coating your bones, and the cracks webbing your soul even now?

 

 

*Yes. Yes, they absolutely can.

*FRISK > ACT > TRUST SANS

"thanks, kiddo." You feel a little winded, even though you don't have lungs. "so. ready to h a v e a b a d t i m e ?"

*Frisk realizes what your plan is.

*Frisk approves of the plan.

*Frisk asks, quietly, that you make their death as painless as possible.

"dunno if i can do much for ya there, kid," you confess. "but i'll do what i can."

*Frisk understands.

 

*(A part of Frisk thinks that they do not deserve even that small mercy.)

*(That piece of them calls to you.)

*(You flinch. You do not answer the call.)

*(It is too similar to Chara's faint cries the first few genocide timelines, when they had not yet been corrupted by Frisk's fear. When they were still the a n g e l  o f  t h e  u n d e r g r o u n d .)

 

Blasters will be quickest. Hopefully it'll be quick enough that the kid won't have to feel it for long.

You summon them.

"see you on the other side, kiddo."

_*kids like you should be b u r n i n g i n h e l l ._

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*(Frisk and Chara meet in the menu screen.)

*(--He... he killed us.--)

*(Yes.)

*(--He betrayed me.--)

*(Yes.)

*(--...Why? I... I don't understand... I... I just- I can't understand!--)

*(Chara remembers how to cry.)

 

*(Frisk is sorry for the L O S T C H I L D .)

*(It is their fault Chara fell so far.)

 

*(Frisk takes a deep breath and remembers something important.)

*(It is not their fault that Chara r e f u s e s to get better.)

*(Frisk had been terrible, and they knew it- so they chose to fix themself.)

*(Chara is terrible, and they know it- and they chose to continue being the worst person they can be.)

*(Frisk still wants to S A V E the L O S T S O U L - but- but-)

*(There are some people who Frisk simply cannot save.)

*(And, besides that- besides the guilt and the remorse, the stubbornness and the frustration- there is the anger. There is the _fury._ )

*(Frisk remembers what the L O S T C H I L D did to their friend- to all of their friends, but especially to Sans. Frisk will not forgive Chara for what they have done under their own power.)

*(Frisk leaves Chara to stew in their sorrow.)

*(Frisk is d e t e r m i n e d to fix their misdeeds.)

*(Frisk is d e t e r m i n e d to save their family.)

*(Frisk is d e t e r m i n e d to be the best they can be.)

*(Frisk is d e t e r m i n e d to succeed.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You open your eyes.

You're sitting in your sentry station in Snowdin. Your old jacket is warm and blue around you.

Your LV is at one.

You drop your head against the wood of the station in relief. You're back. You're really back.

...there's so much you have to make right.

You shortcut over to the Ruins. Toriel. Toriel is the alarm bell, right? If she's dead, then Frisk failed and Chara came back, and you'll... you'll...

You'll have to kill your _p a r t n e r_.

You put your skull in your hands. Fuck. Fuckity fuck fuck.

You'd killed Frisk. Not Chara. You've never killed Chara.

You don't know if you can kill Chara. Will it make you a worse person or a better one? You don't know. Does it even matter?

You don't know. You don't know anything. _N o t w i t h o u t C h a r a t h e r e t o t e l l y o u ._

Fuck. You can't even remember how to make your own damn choices- how it _feels_ to make your own damn choices.

You gotta hope.

_monsters are made of hope._

You just- you just gotta hope for the best and prepare for the worst. If Chara is the one who walks out of the Ruins, well-

You won't give them the chance to break you again. _T h e y m a d e y o u_ **_b e t t e r ._ **

You knock on the door.

There is no answer.

 

The hours pass by. You lean your head back against the door. Toriel's just... just occupied with Frisk right now. Yeah. That's why she didn't reply. She just... she just didn't hear you. That's all.

No reason for you to be worried like this.

Worried. _W h y a r e y o u s p e n d i n g e m o t i o n o n s o m e o n e o t h e r t h a n y o u r p a r t n e r , S a n s ? Y o u  k n o w b e t t e r t h a n t h a t ._

Worrying is strange, old but so very new and fresh. You don't think you like it. It stirs up your stomach and sends thick clouds of dark thoughts whirling through your head. Worrying about _people_ is worse- so many variables, so many emotions... it's all so damn _complicated._

...Worrying...

Worrying...

_Papyrus._

Paps worries about you when he can't find you. Because he loves you, and he wants you safe. Paps will be worried. _S o m e o n e is w o r r i e d a b o u t y o u ? Y o u r e a l l y a r e q u i t e t h e c o m e d i a n ._

You need to get home. _H o m e i s a t y o u r p a r t n e r ' s s i d e ._

...You don't want to leave the door.

...

Toriel has to be able to take care of herself. And even if it is Chara in there... they'd been Toriel's child once, too. You have to believe that it will be alright.

You get to your feet.

You need to go home to your brother. _W h y a l l t h e_ **_s e n t i m e n t_ ** _, S a n s ? W e r e n ' t y o u t a u g h t_ **_b e t t e r_ ** _t h a n t h a t ?_

Papyrus hugs you when you get there.

"BROTHER! I COULD NOT FIND YOU! YOU HAD ME WORRIED!"

"...sorry, bro."

*For the first time in this-your life, you actually mean that.

*You think you're happy to be sincere with Papyrus for once.

*He always deserved a better brother than you. _S o w h y a r e y o u s t i l l h e r e ?_

"NYEH HEH HEH! IT IS ALRIGHT! BUT DO NOT DO IT AGAIN! HOW DO YOU EXPECT TO KEEP YOUR SENTRY JOB IF YOU KEEP SLACKING OFF AND DISAPPEARING?"

"dunno, bro," you say, and a flash of inspiration lights up your skull. "guess i'm just a bit of a _bonehead_."

Papyrus wails.

You try to keep your smile from trembling. This isn't the time for tears. This isn't the time to let Papyrus know. There will never be a time to let Papyrus know.

You've missed him. _H o w c a n y o u , w h e n y o u l o v e o n l y y o u r p a r t n e r ?_

You hug him again.

"love you, paps."

*You mean it with all of your soul. _W h a t s o u l ?_

 

 

You go back to the Ruins the next day. Your hand is raised to knock, and then the door starts to open.

You shortcut into the shadows of the woods before you realize what you're doing. _W h y a r e y o u r u n n i n g a w a y f r o m y o u r p a r t n e r , S a n s ?_

The child who steps out is bruised and dirty, but there is no dust on them. Their LV is at one. Their eyes are dark and slender.

You slump, your worries sliding off your back. Toriel's safe. Toriel's okay. It's Frisk, not Chara, and even if you can't trust Frisk fully, they're far more likely to spare the monsters than Chara.

This might actually work. You might really save everyone. _W h y d o y o u w a n t t o ?_

You smile.

_*don't you know how to greet an old pal, kiddo?_

 

Frisk sits across from you in Grillby's, fiddling with a fry. You guzzle down some ketchup, trying not to let it remind you of blood. You've got to get a grasp on normality, you _have_ to, so you need to start with ketchup and puns. _W h y d o y o u w a n t t o g o b a c k t o i t a l l b e i n g s o_ **_t r i v i a l_ ** _? T h i s i s n o t n o r m a l a n y m o r e . T h e r e i s n o p l a c e f o r y o u i n t h i s w o r l d ._

"Sans?"

"yeah, kid?"

They fiddle with their shirt. "I... I haven't hurt anyone, I promise I haven't. I'm, I'm, I'm being good. I'm- I'm trying to be good, really, I am, Sans I promise, I'm being good-"

Their breaths are coming faster, in short bursts. Their eyes well with tears. Fortunately they're talking quietly, so no one around hears them.

You put your hand on theirs. They don't flinch, but their head jerks up to face you. A tear breaks free of their thick eyelashes and slides down their cheek.

"i know you are," you say gently. "you're doin' good, kiddo. you're gettin' better. promise. keep up the good work, alright?" _W h y a r e y o u_ **_h e l p i n g_ ** _t h e m , S a n s ? W h y d o y o u c o n t i n u e t o_ **_b e t r a y_ ** _y o u r p a r t n e r ?_

Frisk nods. They swipe the tears away. "Y-Yeah. I, I can do this. I can do this. I did it once, plenty of times, i-it can't be that hard to do it again."

"that's the spirit, kiddo."

It's odd, comforting someone. You can't remember ever really doing it before. _W h a t a b o u t a l l t h o s e t i m e s w i t h_ **_y o u r p a r t n e r_ ** _, S a n s ?_

It's... it's nice. Comforting Frisk makes you feel better yourself. Your soul pulses warmly, like it's reassuring you that you're doing the right thing. _Y o u k n o w y o u c a n ' t t r u s t t h a t s i l l y b r o k e n t h i n g . T h e o n l y t h i n g y o u c a n t r u s t i s y o u r p a r t n e r ._

You pat their hand. "wanna go see paps again, kiddo?"

Frisk nods, smiling a little. If there's something both of you share, other than the guilt and the memories, it's your love of Papyrus.

You don't understand how you could ever have not adored your little brother, how you could have let Chara hurt him, murder him. You don't understand how you let any of that happen. You don't understand how you did any of the things you did in the last timeline. _B e c a u s e y o u w e r e a_ **_g o o d p a r t n e r ._ **

But you don't have to understand. _N o . Y o u n e v e r d i d. A l l y o u h a d t o d o i s_ **_o b e y._ **

You just have to make sure none of it ever happens again. _Y o u h a v e t o d o i t a l l o v e r a g a i n t o p r o v e t h a t y o u ' r e s t i l l a_ **_g o o d p a r t n e r ._ **

 

 

Undyne burns her house down, but she and Frisk are friends, so it's okay. You offer her your room, but Paps says it's too dirty. She says she'll sleep on the couch. You close the door behind you when you read Paps his bedtime story. When he falls asleep, you join her downstairs.

"thanks," you say quietly.

"For what?"

"you make him happy," you say. Undyne is his best friend. You've seen what she becomes without him; you don't want to see what he'd become without her. _W h y a r e y o u s o i n v e s t e d ? Y o u a r e n 't a l l o w e d t o c a r e a b o u t p e o p l e o t h e r t h a n y o u r p a r t n e r ._ "you're a great friend. i... i can't thank you enough for that."

Undyne pats your shoulder awkwardly. "Heh, well, you're his bro. He loves you more than anything." _H e s h o u l d n ' t . O n l y y o u r p a r t n e r c a n l o v e s u c h a m o n s t e r a s y o u ._

"think you got me mixed up with his spaghetti." You wink. She snorts.

The two of you settle into a comfortable silence, until you decide to break it.

"so uh... when you gonna ask alphys out, huh?"

You have to shortcut away from being suplexed. Undyne forgot about your single HP again, and you really don't want to have to make Frisk reset just because of you- or explain how you can resurrect yourself without resetting, just from being determined. Yeah. Not a conversation that will be had, if you have any say in the matter.

 

Frisk meets you in Hotland before they go to Alphys. You stack 29 'dogs on their head and they skip around until every one has fallen, giggling madly. Then you do it again, and again. They're laughing so hard they almost can't breathe, smile stretching wide and red across their face. Their laughter rings high in the air, sweet and piercing like church bells, and their eyes are as red as the blood on their hands and your bones-

Before you realize what you're doing, you've turned their soul blue and they're hemmed in by a bone cage. The 'dogs fall or are skewered. Frisk is frozen in fear, staring at you. _Y e s . G o o d b o y . G o o d p a r t n e r . N o w ,_ **_f i n i s h t h e j o b ._ **

"S-Sans?"

You shudder. You thought- for a moment you thought- they were so similar-

But no. **_F i n i s h i t , S a n s . S h o w t h e w o r l d w h a t y o u a r e : a s o u l l e s s m u r d e r e r ._ **

You wave your hand. The cage disappears. _W h a t a r e y o u d o i n g ?_ Frisk's soul returns to its standard blood-red. _M a k e t h e_ **_r e s t_ ** _o f t h e m t h a t c o l o r ._

"sorry, kid," you say quietly. You can't look at them. "i... i thought... i thought you were someone else." _C a l l o u t t o y o u r p a r t n e r . B e g f o r t h e i r m e r c y , a n d p e r h a p s t h e y ' l l t a k e y o u b a c k ._

You feel a small, warm hand on your arm. (Chara's hands were only ever warm when they were coated in fresh blood.) The hand is dry and brown. _N o t y o u r p a r t n e r ' s ._

"It's okay," Frisk whispers. "I understand."

*Frisk is forgiving you.

*(...)

*(You don't deserve it.) _Y o u d o n 't d e s e r v e a n y t h i n g e x c e p t_ **_p a i n_ ** _. Y o u_ **_f a i l e d ._ ** _Y o u d e s e r v e o n l y_ **_p u n i s h m e n t ._ **

You cry. Frisk climbs up over your sentry stand and hugs you, pressing their face into your soft blue jacket. They're warm and the only red stains on the jacket are from ketchup.

Frisk's LV is at one. So is yours. _Y o u n e e d t o g e t i t h i g h e r . Y o u n e e d e v e r y o n e t o f e a r y o u i n y o u r p a r t n e r ' s n a m e ._

They don't have any dust on them. You don't have any blood on you.

The child wrapped warm and trusting around you isn't Chara. _T h a t ' s t h e_ **_p r o b l e m ._ ** They won't hurt you. They won't hurt anyone.

And neither will you. _L y i n g t o y o u r s e l f n e v e r s o l v e d a n y p r o b l e m s , S a n s ._

You hug them back. Blue ectoplasm drips down your face and dissolves once it falls free from your bones. Frisk hangs on tight.

They're crying too, you realize, quiet shuddering sobs. Your jacket is growing wet, though tears evaporate kind of quickly here in Hotland. _T h e y e v a p o r a t e d q u i c k e r w h e n y o u r p a r t n e r c u t t h e m o f f y o u r w e a k f a c e ._

You rub their back and, without thinking, press your forehead against their hair and rub. It... it always comforted Chara. _G o o d b o y . B e g o o d f o r y o u r p a r t n e r , a n d m a y b e y o u ' l l b e r e w a r d e d ._

It seems to do the trick for Frisk, too. Their frantic grip on your jacket loosens. Their tears slow.

So do yours.

*Frisk is so, so sorry for everything they've done.

*So are you.

The pain is so heavy, the guilt twice as much. The tangle of emotions in your soul is sharp like a thornbush and toxic as nightshade.

*You just want it to _s t o p ._

_W e l l , y o u k n o w h o w t o d o t h a t , d o n ' t y o u ?_

"it's so much," you whisper into Frisk's dark hair. "i don't want it. it hurts."

"I know," they whisper. "I know."

 

 

You know you can't spend all your time just with Frisk. They can't befriend the entire underground with a wretched skeleton dogging their heels. They have other people to attend to. You can't hold them back. You won't hold anyone back anymore. _T h e o n l y w a y y o u ' l l d o t h a t i s b y r e t u r n i n g t o y o u r_ **_p r o p e r p l a c e_ ** _, a t y o u r p a r t n e r ' s s i d e ._

You aren't sure where to go, but...

Frisk isn't the only person you need to make things right with.

  


**Author's Note:**

> *Part two will be out soon, featuring everyone's favorite tsundere flower and otaku lizard!  
> *And angst. Plenty of angst.  
> *=)


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